<p>Retirement housing representatives have called for a six month extension to the government’s stamp duty holiday.</p> <p><span>Organisations including HBF’s retirement home builders group have written to the chancellor Rishi Sunak, asking him to extend the holiday for all housing or “at least” for older people moving into homes more suitable for their needs.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>The group of representatives said that the changes to stamp duty, announced last summer, had helped older people to move.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>It also pointed out the role retirement housing had played in safeguarding the older population, with Covid infection rates in these schemes “well below” national levels for the age group.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>But with the current lockdown and the need for older people to take extra precautions, the group of signatories expressed concern that “many” of these home owners were not expecting to complete the sale of their properties before March 31, when the stamp duty holiday is due to end.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>The campaigners have also called for a longer term package of measures to help older people move into more suitable housing, highlighting the social and economic benefits of retirement housing in both the short and long term.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>These benefits include the positive impact retirement housing has on local …